Celtic Defeat Was Bad, But Maybe Not As Bad As You May Think For Dundee

[JoeCovenant]

Dundee’s mauling at Celtic Park on Sunday, although embarrassing, might not actually be the worst thing in the world if recent history is anything to go by.

The last time the Dark Blues shipped six goals under Paul Hartley it turned out to be the catalyst for success.

Here we explore the Dark Blues form after the now famous 6-2 New Year’s Day defeat to city rivals Dundee United.

Unbeaten run

Dundee went on an impressive unbeaten run following their last six goal drubbing

Following on from the derby day debacle, Dundee went on a remarkable eight game unbeaten run in the Premiership.

The stretch lasted from January 4 all the way through to February 28 – where they eventually lost 1-0 up in Dingwall.

Mirror image

Jim McAlister celebrates scoring against Ross County at Dens Park last season

You couldn’t make it up but Dundee’s next two fixtures are exactly the same as they were following the 6-2 derby loss.

The Dark Blues have Ross County at home on Saturday, followed by Motherwell at Dens Park seven days later. That’s exactly what they faced nine months ago.

Crucial points

Dundee’s unbeaten run at the start of 2015 helped cement their position in the league.

The points Dundee accumulated on that eight game run as good as sealed their place in the top six last season.

They managed to get 18 points (five wins) from those eight games of the opening two months of this year, compared to just six points (one win) in the following 11 matches.

Obviously it’s a different stage of the season but an 18-point return from the next eight would go some way to underlining the Dark Blues top six credentials once again.

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